Come into my darkness
by Eribeth Whitlock
Summary: ONE SHOT- Draco Malfoy has a penchant for corruption and torment, and who might his next victim be but the little Mudblood: Hermione Granger. Enslaving her mind and her life sounded like nothing better: a butterfly waiting for its wings to be torn


The Beginning

Hermione sat at dinner, next to Harry, who was seated next to Ron. They were eating a fantastic Christmas dinner of ham, eggnog, black pudding, and occasionally pulling Wizard crackers. With the growing threat of Voldemort, more people were staying at the school for the holidays. All around them, people chatted noisily, like bees in a hive. Hermione, Harry, and Ron however, were talking about their Care of Magical Creatures Class. Their last class included studying Giants, with a real specimen for the class to observe.

"Honestly," Ron was saying, "he's off his bird! Parents are definitely going to try to sack him now!"

"Yes," Hermione said. "But you have to admit, not all the Care of Magical Creatures classes in the past got to actually meet a giant."

"You mean without getting killed," muttered Ron. "I mean, sure, Grawp knows us, especially you, 'Herme', but what about these other innocent students? He doesn't know them, he could tear off their head at any second!"

"Well, then let's hope he just gets the ones that aren't innocent," Harry said loudly, shooting a venomous look at the Slytherin table, where Draco Malfoy and his cronies were sneering. Malfoy had pulled his wizard cracker, which popped out as a snake and slithered off the floor towards unwary prey.

Then Malfoy saw Harry's glare. And Draco smirked back. And then his eyes followed over to his friends. First Ron, which he gazed over disgustingly, probably feeling pride in the pride in own his wealth. By now, both Ron and Hermione had looked also to the source of Harry's silence. But then something unusual happened.

His gaze flickered to Hermione. At first, his expression unwavering, but then, his face went blank, as if deep in thought, and remained so for a few moments. Then his drawling grin was back, growing wider than before, and Harry wondered why. Draco looked at Hermione for a moment longer, and then he turned back to Harry, still smirking.

"What's up with him?" Ron asked, clearly stating what was on everyone's mind.

"I don't know," Harry said, "but it looks like trouble." Quickly and somewhat silently they finished their dinner to head back up to the Griffindor common room. But halfway up the third floor staircase Hermione remembered something.

"Oh, no!" she cried. "I left my bag in the Great Hall! It's got my books and homework and everything in it!"

"You want us to come with you?" Harry asked.

"No, no, I'll get it. I just hope no one stole it!" she said, and then ran off back down the stairs.

"You know, sometimes I wonder about her," Ron said, shaking his head with Harry on their way up to the Common Room

Draco had left Crabbe and Goyle to eat in the Great Hall, he did almost every year, they were such pigs. In the meantime, he was walking out of the Great Hall, when he spotted a book bag. Not caring about the owner's privacy, he walked over and picked it up. And he saw the name scrawled neatly on the handle.

Hermione Granger, 6th year Gryffindor

Draco looked at the name and thought hard. This could work out. His plan would succeed. He picked up her tote and walked out of the room with a widening grin on his face.

Hermione was running down corridors, rushing past moving portraits. The bag had all of her homework, which they had quite a lot of, and her books. Not to mention, a large amount of her quills and parchment. And then she also realized her S.P.E.W. forms were also in there. She hoped against hope that someone who picked it up was a teacher, or another Gryffindor. But if a Slytherin managed to get a hold of it, if Malfoy picked it up. . . .

With this new thought, she ran even faster, her lungs stretching to their capacity to allow her breath while sprinting. But when she reached the Great Hall and flung herself through it's doors, only a few people remained. She dashed to the spot where she was sitting earlier and looked frantically in the surrounding area. Finally, with an exasperated noise, she got up and made to leave the Great Hall, but Crabbe and Goyle stopped in front of the door, blocking her way.

"Are you looking for something?" Crabbe grinned.

"Did you take my bag? Or was it Malfoy?" Hermione asked furiously. "I'll hex whoever did it!"

"Well that would've been Malfoy then," he said in place of his friend, who was sniggering so hard that he could not talk. They then both went to grab more cake and desert. This puzzled Hermione. Why would they have stopped eating, told her Malfoy had taken her bag, and then went back eating? It was very strange.

Hermione walked out of the Great Hall knowing where to find Malfoy. He was in the Dungeons most likely, probably on his way to his common room. She opened the big oak doors and stepped into the shadowy dungeons, lit only by occasional torches. She, Harry, and Ron knew where it was, thanks to the Marauder's Map. Not to mention, Harry and Ron had told her about it after using the Polyjuice Potion. No, she had no intention of going into the Slytherin Common Room, but if Malfoy was on his way there, she would know which way to go.

"Little miss perfect, running around the dungeons at night? Now that is odd." She heard the familiar smirking voice coming from the shadows- but then again, the entire corridor was dark.

"Were you looking for something?" he asked.

"Malfoy, give it back!" Hermione shouted, red hot with anger, and he noticed it. It pleasantly shocked him to see a neat-freak like Granger become suddenly invigorated, firey.

"I might," he said, drawing nearer to her. Hermione was very much confused, and out of her confusion, took a step back. He continued to walked towards her. "Or I might give you something better." And then he bent his face towards her. Draco grabbed her arms roughly and crushed her against the wall. She looked in horror at what he was doing, and fought against him. But he came closer and their lips touched. He kissed her, all the while pinning her to the wall. Hermione tried thrashing about, but he was much stronger than her and would not loosen his hold on her. Then he pulled his face from hers, and smirked. The grin on his face would not tear away, and he stepped back. Hermione looked at him even more confused. Then she picked her bag up and ran through the dungeons, back to the light.

Draco stood on the spot, thinking hard at what he had started. She was a perfect angel, a goody-goody two-shoes with top grades, a potential to be head girl, and a ton of friends with whom she tagged along with. He was an evil, dark, demonic son of a death eater banished from all that was good to lead an exiled life in the murky, shadowed dungeons.

She had led a sheltered life. But now he would change that. He would taint her with darkness, shower her with sin, corrupt her perfect mind to do whatever he saw fit. People would distance themselves from her, she would abandon her grades and homework. And Draco could just imagine the look on Ron and Harry's faces when they saw the result of what he had done to her. And then Draco would leave her. Like a farmer dismisses a runt pig, as a bird abandons an egg that is not her own. She would be devastated, heartbroken. She would have no one else in the world.

But this was only the beginning.

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Hermione ran. She ran as fast as her feet would take her. What had happened? What was Malfoy doing? He had scared her. Malfoy was so much stronger than her, what if he tried it again, he would be sure to take her wand. By now she had arrived at The Fat Lady.

"Password?"

"Lion's Den."

The Fat Lady's portrait swung open and allowed her in, still thinking hard on what had happened. Ron and Harry were sitting at the table, working on homework when she stepped in. They looked up at her and noticed her panting.

"You O.K.?" Harry asked. "Find your stuff?"

"Yeah, Yeah," she said, holding up her bag. "You know, running around looking for it kind of wore me out, I'm going to bed." Hermione didn't feel like telling them what had happened to her, not yet. First she had believe it. Quickly and quietly she made her way up the stairs and plopped on her bed, dropping the bag near her trunk. Crookshanks jumped up on the bed and curled up beside her and began to purr.

"Good night, Crookshanks," Hermione said wearily, and fell asleep almost instantly, thinking about what had happened. 

Chapter 2  
>A Dementor's Kiss<p>

Hermione awoke the next morning to find Harry and Ron in the Common Room, though she had hoped they wouldn't be. They saw her come down the stairs and stood up.

"Hey Hermione!" Ron said.

"Umm…we just wanted to ask you," Harry began.

"Yeah, we wanted to know if anything happened when you lost your bag last night," Ron finished for him.

"Huh?" Hermione really didn't feel like telling them anything. "No, I found it a little away from where we were sitting."

"Oh," Ron said. "Ok."

They left the common Room to go down to breakfast. When they sat down, Hermione saw Draco staring at her, smirking. What did he want?

"What is he up to?" Ron asked. "It's like he won't stop staring at her!"

"Yeah," Harry said. "You know, I'll bet you he's gonna try to jinx her or something, because of his father being sent to prison. Just watch out Hermione."

"Yeah, ok," she said feebly. He was still staring at her! "Hey, I have to get some homework done, let's go to the Library."

"All right then," Harry agreed. "I've still to finish the Potions essay Snape gave us." They left the Great Hall and headed to the Library. Hermione couldn't stop thinking of what he had done. Why had he done it-was he out of his mind?

They had reached the library and started looking for books. Harry found his easily enough, an entire book devoted to memory potions, which was what the essay had something to do with. Ron was simply helping or copying Harry. When Hermione had finished her Arithmancy paper, she was then working on Ancient Runes. She got up to leave and look for the book she needed. It was at the far end of the Library that she found it, in one of the torch-less, shadowed bookcases. It was called "The Ancient Architecture of Egypt" and she was reaching for the book when she felt it. Cold. Bitter cold. It made her hair stand on end. A piercing, wintry cold stare. She turned and saw him.

Polished boots, quality black robes, green and silver badge with a green snake hissing on it, high jaw line, silvery blonde hair, drawling smirk, and the eyes. A cold, gray, icy, expressionless gaze, staring at her, no, through her. Draco Malfoy was leaning on the stone wall opposite the bookshelves, watching her intently.

"So," he drawled, "trying to avoid me were you? Doesn't seemed to work does it?"

"Malfoy, I don't know what happened the other night, but it won't happen again," she said firmly.

"You can't just run from evil, you know," he said, entirely ignoring her. "If it wants you, it finds you." And then he came to her again, pushing off from the stone wall and grabbing her arms roughly once again, slamming her against the bookcase. It didn't rock, or move at all, probably charmed. Hermione had thought once what would happen should one be knocked. But at the moment, she was fixated on the one holding her fast. Then he came down towards her ear, brushing past her cheek and he grinned as she shivered beneath him. His cold was seeping into her, penetrating every part of her. She could feel his lips near her ear as he whispered, and she gasped as he spoke.

"And I've found you." Then, he lowered his mouth to hers, once again, to kiss her. She fought even more madly the than last night. But like the night before, she was without strength. And soon, seeing her fight was useless, Hermione ceased. In fact, she held onto him, clinging to his expensive robes. And he let her. She needed him now, like a baby animal needs to nurse, like an addict needs it's drugs. She was drowning beneath him, because of him. This evil, dark creature was possessing her. He was draining the life out of her, like a Dementor stealing the happiness from an innocent. And just when she was about to pull away, for need of breath and goodness, he deepened. He sucked more life from her, holding her like a prized trophy, gripping her arms until they were black and blue with bruises even under her robes. He would not pull away, not yet. He would darken this perfect little angel of goodness and wisdom. When he was finished she would come back to him. She would need him to live, breath, to walk and talk and think. She wouldn't be able to spend a moment without him.

And he pulled away from her watching as she gasped for air. She had a quizzical look on her face, unaware of his plans. Draco raised his eyebrows for a second, as if bragging at what he had done. But even as he did so, the eyes were unchanging, expressionless and cold. He looked over her once more before turning away, walking to the exit of the Library, his cloak swishing behind him. As he passed one of the windows, the sun beamed through, reflecting off of his silver-white hair. Hermione slumped down to the ground as he left, just sitting on the cold, stone floor. She listened to her hard breathing, coming in short gasps. Why was he doing this? It was just unreasonable.

But it was amazing. She had never felt anything like it, even when Viktor Krum had kissed her. She was enthralled by it, enslaved! It was life giving! Slowly, after what was nearly a half hour, Hermione rose. She picked up her book and headed back to where Ron and Harry were chatting, having finished most of their homework and slacking off the rest.

"There you are!" Ron said loudly, Madam Pince glared daggers at him from her desk. "Listen, glad you finally found the book, but we have Quidditch practice in about ten minutes," he said lowering his voice.

"He's right," Harry said. "We gotta go get ready. Hermione, we saw Malfoy come in and go over that way, did he bug you?"

"Yeah, but only to call me mudblood and the like. Yes Ron, I know," she said and Ron began clenching his fists.

"Ok, well we're going to practice," Harry said before Ron started yelling. "Just promise us one thing Hermione."

"What?"

"The next time Malfoy comes around, turn him into a ferret and bounce him off the walls, ok?" Harry said remembering when Barty Crouch Jr. had done that to Malfoy.

Hermione laughed, even Ron eased up. "Ok, I will!"

"Well, see you later! Oh, and the notice said tomorrow is Hogsmeade, wanna go?" Harry asked her.

"Of course!" she said and then farewelled them off as she finished her homework, not concentrating at all on what she was writing. 

Chapter 3  
>Come into My Darkness<p>

When Hermione got back to the Common Room, having finished homework, Harry and Ron were still at Quidditch practice. She walked over to Crookshanks, who was sitting on the rug before the fire. Stroking her ginger fur from the top of the head all the way to the bottlebrush tail, she thought. And as much as she thought, there was just no reason for him to have done that. Was it a joke? Or did he really like her? Maybe it was just a thing because he's single and wants a girlfriend, she thought. But then, why would he pick me-I'm a mudblood to him? Nothing made sense to her.

And he knew this.

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Draco thought what he had done in the Library was brilliant. That time, her fight was strong but ended quickly. Soon she had grasped onto him. And the next time he got her, she probably wouldn't even resist. She needed him, though she didn't know it. She knew nothing.

The only thing she thought was why he was doing it. But he had no reason. He was simply an evil creature who found amusement in the suffering of others. Indeed, he loved being the one who caused the pain, the sorrow, the grief. And this time, she wouldn't be able to stand it. He would leave her to wallow in her woe and sadness, her despair and anguish. And inwardly, he smiled. Smiled at his evilness, his sinfulness, his wickedness. He was the cruelest creature on the planet, and she had to be one of the dumbest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Harry and Ron had got back, their robes were wet from the melted snow.

"Hey Hermione!" Harry yelled to her.

"How was practice?" she asked them. She had to get her mind off him.

"Oh, it wasn't that bad," Ron said. "I'm getting better now, blocked most of the quaffles."

"That's great!" she said. Why wouldn't she stop thinking about it?

"Yeah, the snow was pretty light, so that made it good," Harry said.

"Well, you should probably change into different robes," Hermione said. "Those ones are soaked and you're dragging water all of the place."

"Yeah, you're right," Ron said. Him and Harry left to go switch robes, leaving Hermione with even more time to think. When they got back, it was nearly time for dinner. So, they dropped their books and things in their rooms and left for dinner.

When they reached the Great Hall, most of the people had come back from their Christmas break. This night, the food was back to normal, and there were no wizard crackers. Her, Harry, and Ron were sitting with Seamus Finnagan and the rest of the people from their year. They were talking about being back to school and how classes would start again on Monday.

And just out of curiosity, Hermione looked over at the Slytherin table. And he was still staring at her. He had been since she walked through the doors. The icy gray stare was piercing her mind again. He was observing her every move and she had no idea why.

Thirty minutes later, Hermione, Harry, and Ron walked out of the great hall, disappointed that Christmas break was over and homework would once again start. As they were walking along the second floor corridor, Hermione saw something.

It was like two little fireflies being suspended in midair. She looked closer and it was a person, with white-blonde hair and silver eyes glittering like an animal's. Malfoy was looking at her through the shadows. Harry and Ron were talking next to her and they saw him as well.

"Malfoy?" Ron asked him. Draco stepped out of the dark, into the torchlight. He stepped closer.

"Yes, me," he answered. Ron and Harry were totally puzzled.

"And why were you stalking us?" Harry asked him angrily, yet still confused. Yes, Draco knew she wouldn't tell them.

"No, I'm not stalking you," he said, nodding in the direction of the boys. Now he had entirely lost them now. Harry and Ron looked over at Hermione, and then back at Malfoy.

"What do you want?" Ron asked, fists clenched. Draco walked over to Hermione and bent down to her ear, she trembled slightly. And he whispered into her ear.

"You know what I want." She gasped and he pulled himself back up to full height. "See you around," he said as he looked Hermione over, then left. His robes moved like liquid around him, and then Hermione realized that her friends were looking at her, waiting for an explanation.

"Well?" Ron asked, getting a bit impatient. "What did he say?"

"Oh, the usual stuff, you know, 'you're gonna die mudbloods and stuff. He's been doing a lot lately, but I've know clue why," she said, feeling no desire to let them know. They didn't need to know, not their business.

So, with and angry Ron and Harry, they finished their walk to the Gryffindor common room, where they said goodnight and Hermione went to bed thinking.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She sat, tossing and turning, waiting for dear sleep to come, but it just wouldn't. Hermione got up and left the dormitory, thinking a walk might clear her mind. She stepped out of the portrait hall and decided to walk down to the third floor and back up. As she was walking though, she noticed. There was hope in her, a hope for something, an unfulfilled wish. Wondering what was wrong she continued until she arrived on the fifth floor.

This time he didn't say anything. Leaning on the wall ahead of her, arms crossed, he stepped out of the shadows and walked towards her.

"No, not-" she began, but he paid no attention. Draco grabbed her again by the shoulders and slammed her to the wall, crushing her with his body. He came down and kissed her again, a powerful one. She did fight. She wanted it to stop. Hermione stomped his feet, scratched him, struggled against him, but he continued pinning her down. She was drowning again, choking. The breath was taken out of her. But she stopped fighting. She didn't care anymore. It was all one in the same now; he wouldn't stop. Her hands reached and grabbed onto the collar of his cloak, hanging onto him for the second time. Now his hands were gripping onto her like it was his life, her arms turning white. And then he let his mouth draw back. She was leaning against him, and he let her. He looked her over as her chest rose and fell, pressed against him. She was hard of breathing again. He let go of one arm and stroked her cheek, then ran his hand up and down the side of her face, then her neck and collarbone. He then stepped back, smirking as always. Draco watched her as she slid down the wall to the hard, cold floor. Then he turned and walked away, robes billowing behind him, leaving a drowned angel in his midst.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Why doesn't she just pull her wand out at him? Why couldn't she do it? It was just bugging her as she sat there, thinking. Finally, Hermione rose from the spot on the ground and headed back to her common room, where slept instantly, deep in thought.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He had underestimated her, she was stronger then he had thought. But she still crumbled to him, and in the end, he would have her. Draco would win his prize and watch it be destroyed, heartbroken, deceived.

She would come into his darkness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione awoke late the next morning, where once again Harry and Ron were waiting for her, dressed for the weather.

"Are you ready, you don't look like it," Harry said.

"Huh?" she asked him.

"Hogsmeade, today's Hogsmeade! We wanted to get some candy up at Honeydukes for one thing and I'm nearly out of ink," Ron told Hermione. She had forgot about Hogsmeade.

"Oh, right, hold on and I'll get ready," she said, and she went back upstairs to get her winter cloak and scarf on. She came back down stairs dressed and ready. They went down to the Entrance Hall where Filch checked their permission slips, casting a wary eye at each student. Soon they were walking on the road towards Hogsmeade, talking of what they intended to do.

"I think I need a new set of scales, mine are getting off on their measurements."

"Let's make sure we get some butterbeer!"

"Yeah, and how 'bout Gladrag's? We could pick Dobby something."

"Oh, let's get some for the other elves too!"

"Sure Hermione, whatever you say. I want to get something at Honeydukes, what should we get there?"

And so their conversation went, until they came to Hogsmeade. First they went to Dervish and Banges, where they bought Hermione's scales. They then went to Gladrags and indeed bought Dobby two pairs of socks, so that he might mix-match them. Afterwards, they went into Honeydukes. Here they bought chocolate, Bertie-Botts, chocolate frogs, and fizzing-whizbees. As they left and headed to Three Broomsticks, they saw him. Draco Malfoy was walking with his cronies down the road towards them. He looked up from them and stared at Hermione, grinning evilly. Beside her, Ron clenched his fists and his ears grew red. Harry took a step forward. Next to Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle flexed their muscles.

"What do you want this time, Malfoy? Come to call her a mudblood again?" Ron looked very angry now. Malfoy looked over at Hermione and understood that even after last night, she had not told them. Grinning even more, he walked behind Hermione. He was stroking the side of her arm with his fingers. And slowly stepping to the other side of her, he lowered his head to her ear. As cold as it was already, his touch gave her goosebumps.

"You know what I want," he whispered. Then he stepped back to the other side of her, still stroking her arm, and lowered his head to her other ear and this time placed his cheek beside hers, rubbing it a bit. "And you know you want it to." Ron and Harry were now stunned, mouths agape, bags ready to fall.

"No," Hermione said defiantly.

"Yes," he whispered, now rubbing the side of her waists and standing directly behind her. He bent down back to the other ear and whispered again. "Stay behind." And he stepped around her, grinning, to walk on with his friends.

"The nerve of him! He's hitting on her and calling her a mudblood at the same time!" Ron yelled as they now made their way to The Three Broomsticks.

"What do you think he's playing at?" Harry said once they got inside, then ordered three butterbeers. They chose a table near the windows and sat down.

"Hermione, what does he say to you?" Harry asked.

"I told you, he calls me a mudblood and says he's going to get me and stuff," Hermione would never be able to control them if they knew what he had done.

"I'll tell you what, I'm going to get him!" Ron said, not bothering to keep his voice down.

"Ron, please!" Hermione hissed. "I'm fine really, if he tries it again I will turn him into a ferret, and I won't just bounce him off the walls!"

"Fine, as long as you can handle it," Ron said back. "But if he does it anyway, he'll have me to look forward to!"

"Three butterbeers?" Madam Rosmerta had come to their table with their drinks. They nodded and paid her eight sickles for each glass. Soon, Hermione had them talking about the N.E.W.T.'s coming in June. But Hermione fell silent as they continued talking. She thought about what Draco had said. Did she want it? Did she want to be with him? He had told her to stay back. Should she? No, she shouldn't. She could stop it. She could stop him. About a half hour of talking and drinking pass before they left. However, about halfway down the road back to Hogwarts, she remembered something.

"Oh, no! I left my bag in the Three Broomsticks!" And she had indeed, not noticing it, it was quite nice not to be carrying anything.

"I think we should come with you, in case Malfoy is still hanging around," Harry said, and Ron nodded in agreement.

"No, really, I can get it, it won't take that long."

"Are you sure?" Ron asked her.

"Yeah, I'll meet you back in the common room," she said, they agreed reluctantly, and she went back. She saw it right by where they had been sitting. Inside she went, and bent over to pick it up when someone's foot appeared on the strap. Then a hand came down and picked it off the ground. She stood up and looked at Draco Malfoy, he was grinning again. Then he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her towards the door.

"Come with me," he said in a low voice. She walked along with him, she had no choice. They walked across the road, towards the Shrieking Shack. He took Hermione behind it and pushed her against the wall of it. This time, though, he grabbed her waists and pinned her that way against the exterior of the Shack. Draco rushed to her face and kissed it. First it was on the cheek and then he moved to her mouth, drawing the air out of it. For the third time, she was drowning. But this time, there was no fight, no fire. This time she welcomed him. She clung to him from the start, groping his cloak. This time she needed him, needed him to live, to breath. And then he stopped, and he looked at her. Hermione's brown eyes looked back at him, wanting more. And so he gave her more. They remained that way a good time of the evening.

The angel has fallen, Draco thought. She has come into my darkness 

Chapter 4  
>Plunging into the Shadows<p>

When Hermione and Draco had finished, he hung around in Hogsmeade while she left for Hogwarts. She guessed it had been nearly 2 hours she had spent behind the Shrieking Shack. But what would she tell the others?

Hermione arrived at the school an hour before dinner. Of course, when she got to the Griffindor common room, Harry and Ron asked her questions.

"Why were you gone so long?" Harry asked.

"What did Malfoy do now?" Ron said, fighting the urge to yell.

"Malfoy?" she said, trying to think of a cover story. "No, no, it was Pansy Parkinson. She had my bag in The Three Broomsticks. I saw her walking out and told her to give it back to me. She wouldn't listen to me so I body-bound her and took the bag. But she still wouldn't leave me alone."

"Oh, all right then," Ron said, easing up. If a guy was messing with Hermione, those two had full right to butt in, but with other girls, they knew Hermione could take care of it.

"Suppose we can finish some homework before dinner?" Harry asked.

"Of course we can!" Hermione said, enthusiastic to get off the subject of what had happened. "Let's see, History of Magic!" Harry Ron groaned that they had to work on the most boring subject of all.

At dinner, they sat at the norm, near their Griffindor friends. And this time, Malfoy stared even more at Hermione. He was smirking, but his eyes told nothing, as usual. The icy gray eyes felt nothing, and only let the cold seep into her. She looked back at him and felt that feeling again. Now she needed him. She fought against reason to just go over their at that moment. Those eyes. She found them piercing every part of her, grabbing every single thought from her mind. And then he grinned even more.

After dinner, Hermione, Harry, and Ron made their way to the seventh floor. That night they stayed up late, finishing homework they had put aside. First came History of Magic, then potions, and finally defense against the dark arts. They went to bed, yawning and saying good night. When Hermione got up to her dormitory, Parvati and Lavender were already asleep. She was about to get into her nightgown when there was a tap at the window. Hermione turned towards the sound and saw a black owl with a letter in it's beak. She opened the shutters and let it swoop down onto her bed. Hermione took the letter from him and he flew back out the still-open window. Opening it, she pulled out the parchment inside and unfolded it.

Tonight. Dungeons.

Hermione had the slightest idea of what it meant. She put on her robes and left the room silently. Exiting the portrait hole, she went down corridors and staircases until she was in the Entrance Hall. Turning right, she opened a door that lead down into the dark and gloomy dungeons. Taking a deep breath, she stepped through the door. As soon as she closed the door, she had plunged into darkness. The only light was from the few low torches set on the wall. She walked cautiously, in case a Slytherin student was to come out in front of her. She was now well past the potions classroom now. There was an open door on her right. She looked inside it but no one was in it. Hermione made to continue past the door, but a strong hand came from behind her and pushed her into the room. There was no light in there, the door closed. But then a faint light came from all the way across the room. Hermione saw a shadow move across the room towards her. It grabbed both her arms with strong hands and stroked them, up and down. A head came down to her right ear and rubbed against her cheek before whispering.

"I knew you'd come," it was Draco. He moved his hands so that they were smoothing over the length of her thighs. Hermione shuddered. He had her against the wall now, but was not quite crushing her. Hermione closed her eyes, breathing deep at the feel of his cold hands.

"No, don't close them," he whispered to her. He lowered his face down her neck to the base of it and kissed her there. The kiss turned into a soft bite and then one of his arms was back on top of the other shoulder. Hermione gasped. He was back up to her ear now, with the other arm moved up to grip onto her waist.

"You want to be here," he said. "You want to be in the dark, in the shadows." His hands, both of them, were touching her bare skin, one under her robes, massaging her shoulder, the other under her shirt, rubbing over her hipbone. He continued kissing her neck, occasionally biting again to grin at her shudders and gasps. "Don't you?" Draco moved his face back, now an inch from her face. She slowly nodded her head, and he kissed her, now on the lips. She kissed him back, with all the force that he had given her. He now grasped tightly onto her waists and slammed her (what's new?) into the stone wall. She didn't care. In fact, she wrapped her legs around him, one arm grabbing his robes, pulling him toward her, the other gripped affectionately around his neck. They kissed, and kissed, and kissed some more. He had touched nearly every part of her body with the strong, cold hands of his.

She had plunged into the shadows, Draco and his darkness enveloping her. 

Chapter 5  
>Watching<p>

Hermione spent her classes the next day feeling very bored. She wanted all the classes to be over. She wanted it to be night, to be dark, to be cold. When potions class came that day, Hermione fought the urge to pair up with Draco, and he was always smirking in her direction.

"I still don't know what he's up to," Ron said, confused. No, they didn't know. No one knew.

"Yeah, he might hex you after class though," Harry said. But he already had. He had jinxed her, charmed her, entranced her, ensnared her. She was especially bored when History of Magic class came before lunch. So bored, in fact, that she almost fell asleep herself.

But Care of Magical Creatures class was something entirely different. It was with the Slytherins, as was usual. But unlike the other times, Draco didn't comment on Hagrid being "a great big oaf".

That lesson was on something other than giants, Grawp didn't feel up to it that day.

"All right everyone, follow me ter the lake," Hagrid said, leaving everyone puzzled. They followed him down near the lake. Hermione looked around for Draco but could not see him. When they got down to the water's edge, they saw a temporary dock and a fenced in area. When they looked into the water they could see a half horse-half fish creature swimming in the water. After a moment, another one joined the first.

"Hippocampus," Hagrid told the class. "The fatter-looking one is the girl, she's pregnant. And see that one? He's the dad. Sometime this week she'll give birth. We're gonna be takin' care o' the eggs as a class project. And I don't want none of 'em dyin', ya hear? These things aint simply flobberworms, no, no, no." And Hagrid went on discussing the class's project. But Hermione was preoccupied with something else. Draco had come behind her, placed his strong hands on her waist, and pulled her back a bit behind the class.

He began kissing her neck, rubbing anywhere on her body that he chose. First came the shoulders, then the arms, next he went under her shirt on her ribs, then the hips, the thighs, and lower on her leg, lifting her skirt up a bit of the way.

"You can't tell me," he whispered, his face placed beside hers, looking out to her classmates. "That you don't just love getting away with this," now he kissed the back of her neck and then bit it hard, Hermione gasped loudly, "right under their noses." He lingered a moment longer, feeling her and kissing her, all the while facing forward, but not hearing a word Hagrid said. Then he let her go. She turned around and looked lustfully at him. Then he gave her the "Later" look and she walked forward to join Harry and Ron. They hadn't even notice she'd stepped back with Draco.

"Well," Ron said as they headed back to the school for dinner, "At least he got something that won't bite our heads off!"

"Or burn our hands up!" Harry said, remembering the blast-ended screwts from their fourth year.

Hermione however, as soon as she got in the girl's dormitory, she made more of an effort to brush her hair and look nice. It didn't make much of a difference, but it helped.

And at dinner, the norm happened. They ate, drank, and talked, all while Hermione and Draco kept staring at each other, Hermione gazing yearningly, Draco smirking proudly. When dinner had ended, Draco came from behind her and whispered quickly into her ear.

"Again."

She guessed he meant the same as the other night. However, she looked onward as if no one had spoken. He strode off with Crabbe and Goyle, doing the same. That night, Hermione stayed up again doing homework; with N.E.W.T.'s approaching, they had more than ever. So she went up again to the girl's dorm and got ready. In fact, she wore something a bit different than her normal garm, not too different, but enough. And she made her way out of the portrait hole, once again to the dungeons. As she opened the door, she felt a feeling of satisfaction. Just to be there again, in the darkness, it enthralled her! Hermione continued walking, to the room where he had been last, and walked in. There he was, leaning casually at the opposite end of the room, barely visible in the shadows. She walked over to him and threw her arms around him, kissing him as she did so. He grasped her firmly around the waists and only held her there, not slamming or crushing, he had already ensnared her. Once again caressing her, they kissed wildly. Hermione's hands were now planted atop his chest and she nearly had him against the wall. And he knew his plan was almost fulfilled. She would come to him now. By now Hermione's hands were digging into his shoulder blades and she wrapped her legs around him. Then he decided to repeat the last night, it had gone so well. So he crushed her against the wall and she threw her head back. Draco then kissed and bit Hermione's neck and her collarbone, and even down to her chest. Then he lowered her and kissed her some more. Then, both unable to hold back, he crashed with her to the hard stone floor. There they kissed even more and harder than before

But through their feverish escapade, they didn't notice the door had been open the entire time. No shadows had been cast from the person or thing, but they had now shut the door and left.

Someone had been watching. 

Chapter 6  
>Falling<p>

A long while later, Hermione walked up stairs and corridors back to the Griffindor common room, feeling disappointed that she couldn't spend more time Draco. Walking through the portrait hole, she saw two people rise from the chairs by the fire.

"Where did you go?" Ron asked. He looked questioningly at her.

"What do you mean?" Hermione didn't feel like telling them what had been going on with her and Draco.

"You aren't in bed," Harry said.

"You're not either!" she said in her defense.

"But we're in our common room," Ron said, obviously not getting anything out of Hermione.

"I went down to see Winky and Dobby," she lied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get some rest!" With saying that, she walked briskly up the stairs to the girl's dormitory. She wondered if they knew. Had they been following her or something? Why would they care? It was none of their business if she was with Draco. Hermione fell asleep, dreaming of the nights to come.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Draco's plan was almost complete. She only needed to come to him a few more times and he would be finished with her. He had heard the door close, he knew someone had been watching, most likely Potter and Weasley. Soon, they would become curious at her odd behavior. They would question her, and she would shove them away, coming to him instead. Her grades would drop, and she would no longer care about anything but him.

Draco grinned at himself as he walked back to the Slytherin common room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Hermione awoke the next morning, her tension was even greater. She paid no attention what so ever to the lessons or anything Harry and Ron had said to her that day. But each time she saw Draco, he was smirking, always that same drawl and with the same gray eyes.

Each day after school, she would sneak off to the dungeons, growing more and more accustomed to the place. She and Draco kissed lustfully every night, with no one to interrupt. Hermione thought Draco had probably told all his Slytherin friends not to roam the dungeons at night.

As each day passed, she could not bear school. During potions class, Draco would usually walk past her, slipping a hand on her arm as he did. And the spaced between Care of Magical Creatures classes, were simply amazing. When everyone was concentrating on their hippocampus eggs, Draco would come up behind her and kiss the nape of her neck, occasionally pulling her around to kiss her mouth. This went on for a week or so.

One night, when Hermione slipped out of her dormitory, she was met by someone in the common room. As she crept quietly down the stairs and walked to the portrait hole, someone spoke to her.

"Where are you going?" Hermione turned around to face Ron and Harry walking towards her.

"Why is that any of your business?" she snapped back, to eager to get to Draco.

"You're our best friend, Hermione, we want to make sure you're safe," Harry said.

"I can take care of myself," Hermione said, going to walk out the portrait hole.

"Then why do you turn to Malfoy every night?" Ron said loudly, just as she pushed forward the portrait. She stopped right away and walked back in front of her friends.

"Because I need him," she whispered, putting emphasis on the word 'need'.

"Hermione," Ron said, "why do you need him, when you have us? We're your friends! You surely don't need Malfoy to make you happy!"

"Oh, but I do Ron," Hermione told them. "He's shown me things only a Slytherin could show me, only an evil person could know! And I need it!" and when she saw Harry and Ron begin to say something more, she stomped out of the portrait hole, not turning back to look at them.

Her walk was a bit faster than normal as she made her way to the dungeons. Rushing through the door, she looked over at Draco, in his usual place and stance, arms crossed, leaning against the wall patiently on the other end of the room. She rushed over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. As she did so, he kissed the base of her neck over her shoulder and she began talking.

"Oh, Draco," she began. "They know, Harry and Ron know what we've been doing. I think they follo-" but he had now pushed her in front of him, against the wall and placed his index finger on her lips.

"Shh," he said. "Then it's all up to you. Do you want to continue this?" he asked her. She nodded her head and he spoke again. "Very well then." He leaned forward and kissed her, grabbing her arms, pinning her once more to the hard wall. That night she treated dearly, as if it were her last with him. She groped at his robes, as if it were her life, she clung to him, never letting go. He was holding her against him tightly, bruising her arms like so many times before, his strong cold hands a tangle in her robes, kissing her wildly the whole time. Hermione dug her nails deeper and deeper into his chest, never loosing grip for fear of losing him. They bashed wildly against the walls, and made the night worthwhile.

Hermione and Draco fell away, forgetting all but each other's darkness. 

Chapter 7  
>Alone<p>

Hermione had ignored Ron and Harry's questions when she got back to the common room. The next morning, they tried again, but finally gave up talking to her altogether. After that magical night with Draco, she didn't even hear when Professor McGonagall told her to transform her bird into a vase. When she attempted it, the design on the vase was in feathers and the handles had a few feathers sticking out, which astounded everyone. Care of Magical Creatures was amazing. Everyone was now to feed their tadfoals (hippocampus babies) small fish and kelp. This preoccupied everyone, as each time a fish was held over the water, the tadfoal would leap up and grab it out of midair. Like the norm, Draco pulled her back away from everyone, kissing and caressing her. After a minute of doing this, he just backed her up against a tree and kissed her on the mouth.

That night, she spent as wildly as the one before. Now her schedule had been to slack homework off, slip in with Draco, and ignore all her friends.

But after a week of that, things changed.

One week after her friends had found out about Hermione and Draco, he didn't shove her around her as much and his kisses had grown weaker. Each night, it became less and less wilder, until all they really did was sit to exchange a few kisses. However, one night, there was only one kiss, and it came from Hermione.

That night, Hermione went into the room and ran over to him. She kissed him shortly before he pushed her away, grinning, leaving her very confused.

"What is wrong with you?" she said.

He laughed. "Me? No. It's you."

"What do you mean?" she was entirely puzzled by his new actions.

"I mean, this," as he said 'this', he pointed back and forth to himself and Hermione, "is done. I can't disgrace my father with dating a mudblood, now can I?" Draco was smirking again. Not in the bragging way, but in the old way that meant he'd just insulted someone. At this Hermione gasped, and Draco closed his eyes grinning.

"Ah, I'll miss that sound," yes, Draco thought, he would miss her shudders and gasps at the very touch of his hands. "I'd like to hear it again," as he said this, he reached for her, but she stepped back. "Yes, I thought you wouldn't let me. But would you let me at least have a good-bye kiss?" he said, grinning even more broadly, more than she had ever seen. Hermione looked at him in even more wonder. Was he MAD? Why was he doing this? She ran out the door, up the corridors and into the entrance hall. She continued her way up to the Griffindor common room, which Ron and Harry had always been in, in the odd luck that she might talk to them. But that night, they weren't. No one was. She went up the stairs to the boy's dorm and knocked, no one answered. She quietly opened the door to find every boy asleep. She thought of waking them, but just couldn't.

The next morning, she ran down to find Harry and Ron leaving the portrait hole, to go down to breakfast. She ran after them, they would listen to her.

"Harry, Ron!" she said, trying to catch her breath. They turned around and looked disgustedly at her, almost annoyed.

"You guys, Draco, he, umm," she wasn't sure of how to put it.

"What? He dumped you?" Harry said, not looking at all surprised.

"Yeah, you know Harry, I'm pretty sure we said this was going to happen, didn't we?" Ron said.

"Right to her face, too!" Harry added. They turned around to leave but she ran in front of them.

"But you're my friends, what…" she trailed off.

"Oh, why don't you just get Malfoy to show you some more stuff? After all, you 'need' him!" Ron said venomously. She couldn't believe this. It was just impossible, all her friends had now left her, and Draco had used her.

And he knew it.

True, he would miss the make-out sessions with Granger, they had grown to be quite wild. But his plan had worked brilliantly. He knew that all who she had once held dear would shun her out. She would be forgotten and despised. No one would come to her now.

She would cry and cry, but with no shoulder to cry on, no one to comfort her. They would hate her, consider her filth, an annoying insect that tags along too much. She would have no one by her side.

She was alone.

Hermione, after that moment, never brought her grades back up. Harry and Ron always either ignored her, or glared disgustedly at her, she couldn't decide which was worse. Hermione soon talked to few, and only on school projects and the like. Draco continued sneering every time she caught his eye. She thought right then, that he was the only one with a chance to be there for her. She could try again. I will, Hermione thought. I will come to him again. Then, that night, she snuck out of the Gryffindor common room and headed down to the dungeons. She turned to the door on the right thinking, maybe, just maybe, he'd be there. And he was.

But he wasn't alone.

He had a red-haired, young girl, pressed against the wall, snogging her. Hermione Looked in disbelief at what she saw. Ginny? Why would she... how could he...?

She ran. She ran and didn't stop until she got to her dorm room. She flung herself onto the bed and began crying. Weeping out all her emotion, she cried herself to sleep. Hermione was alone. Completely alone, the darkness of night surrounding her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Draco had Ginny against the wall when he heard footsteps outside. He knew it was her. Not wanting the redhead to flee, he kissed her harder, squeezing her sides. She gasped painfully through their kiss. He knew he was a bad, evil, cruel-hearted man. Soon, Ginny would meet the same end Hermione had.

Everyone but he would be alone 


End file.
